2025 MLS Team of the Season: Messi and Bouanga unstoppable

Tom Weber
Tom Weber
  • Updated: 21 Oct 2025 09:05 CDT
  • 6 min read
Denis Bouanga, Lionel Messi, MLS
© IMAGO

The 2025 Major League Soccer regular season is in the books.

The Philadelphia Union have won the Supporters' Shield as the best regular season team, while San Diego finished top of the Western Conference as the best-performing expansion franchise in MLS history.

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The playoffs are still coming up, but it is the eight months leading up to the knockout rounds that really determine who the best teams and best players in the league were in any given calendar year.

So, who were the best players in MLS in 2025?

GK: Dayne St. Clair (Minnesota United)

Picking the best goalkeeper in MLS is no easy feat as there are a few very good shot-stoppers in the league. However, according to American Soccer Analysis, Minnesota star Dayne St. Clair stands out above the rest when it comes to raw numbers.

Since establishing himself as the Loons' undisputed No.1 in 2022, the Canada international has consistently been one of the best goalkeepers in MLS and 2025 was no different.

St. Clair prevented around 10 goals this season, which is the most of any keeper in the league by some distance. He made the fourth-most saves in the division and, thanks to him, Minnesota had the third-best defensive record in 2025.

LB: Jordi Alba (Inter Miami)

Jordi Alba
© IMAGO - Jordi Alba

Barcelona legend Jordi Alba will say goodbye to football after the playoffs, but the Inter Miami full-back has not looked his age at all this season. The 36-year-old is still a force to be reckoned with, especially going forward.

Despite his advanced age, Alba will finish the season with potentially more than 50 games played across all competitions. He finished the regular season with 30 appearances, six goals and 11 assists.

CB: Olwethu Makhanya (Philadelphia Union)

One of the breakout stars of the 2025 MLS regular season, 21-year-old Olwethu Makhanya marshalled the best defence in the league with Jakob Glesnes, who could also have made the team.

Makhanya joined the Philadelphia Union in 2023, but he didn't make his senior debut for the Supporters' Shield winners until this season, immediately establishing himself as a starter.

It says a lot that the only game the Union lost heavily in the regular season - a shock 7-0 defeat to Chicago - came while the youngster was serving a suspension for a second yellow card.

CB: Tristan Blackmon (Vancouver Whitecaps)

The Vancouver Whitecaps were one of the biggest surprises of the season, and they could have easily finished top of the West had they not received an early red card against FC Dallas on Decision Day.

With 38 goals conceded, the Whitecaps boast the second-best defence in MLS and Tristant Blackmon has been a huge part of their success. He has been so good in 2025, in fact, that he made his debut for the USMNT in September, aged 29, no less.

Although he wasn't always available, only playing 25 games in MLS, it is hard to overlook his impact. Across all competitions, he actually chipped in with five goals and was crucial in Vancouver retaining their Canadian Championship despite missing the final through injury.

RB: Alex Freeman (Orlando City)

Alex Freeman
© IMAGO - Alex Freeman

Like Makhanya, Orlando City right-back Alex Freeman has been one of the biggest breakout stars of 2025. Although he made his senior debut back in 2023, it wasn't until this season that the 21-year-old became a regular for the Lions.

Since making his debut for the USMNT in June, Freeman has been a nailed-on starter under Mauricio Pochettino, illustrating his impact for club and country.

In 29 MLS appearances, the marauding full-back notched an impressive six goals and three assists.

CM: Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders)

Cristian Roldan was a bit of an enigma before 2025. Despite undisputedly being one of the best midfielders in MLS, he was rarely recognised as such by non-Sounders supporters.

Roldan has never been the flashiest player, but he is the dictionary definition of reliable. The 30-year-old is to MLS what James Milner is to the Premier League.

Across 2025, with the exception of a brief slump towards the end of the regular season, Roldan was among the top performers in MLS, and he has rediscovered his mojo in recent games.

After notching a brace of assists for the USMNT against Australia, Pochettino waxed lyrical about him. “Cristian Roldan is an example of how, if you want to build your perfect player, he has a little bit of everything,” the coach said.

CM: Evander (FC Cincinnati)

While Roldan adds bite to our team, FC Cincinnati maestro Evander brings flair and offensive output. The Brazilian, who joined Cincy from the Portland Timbers after a lengthy saga in the offseason, was absurdly good in 2025.

The 27-year-old provided a ridiculous 18 goals and 14 assists. He played a pivotal role as Cincy finished second in the East, just one point off Supporters' Shield winners Philadelphia.

LW: Denis Bouanga (LAFC)

Denis Bouanga and Son Heung-min
© IMAGO - Denis Bouanga and Son Heung-min

LAFC forward Denis Bouanga has an air of inevitability about him that pretty much no player except, of course, Lionel Messi has in MLS. The Gabon international is simply incredible.

Bouanga combines incredible speed, technical ability and ice-cold finishing with merciless efficiency. It is quite incredible that he never really managed to make it big in Europe.

In 2025, the 30-year-old became the first player in MLS history to score 20+ goals in three successive seasons, ultimately finishing on 24 and seven assists. The MLS-record addition of Son Heung-min to LAFC has, incredibly, only made Bouanga better.

CAM: Lionel Messi (Inter Miami)

As you can tell, we're playing a 4-3-3 and, naturally, we have to include Lionel Messi. The Inter Miami magician needs no introduction, so let's just rattle off his numbers.

The Argentine won the Golden Boot with 29 goals, finished joint-top of the assist charts with 19 (MLS counts secondary assists), set a new record for the most multi-goal games in a regular season and fell just one goal contribution short of equalling Carlos Vela's 2019 record of 49.

He is the heavy favourite to be named this year's MVP, which would make him the first player in MLS history to win the award back-to-back. Yeah.

RW: Anders Dreyer (San Diego)

As mentioned in the intro, San Diego enjoyed a spectacular expansion season that was capped off by pipping Vancouver to top spot in the West on Decision Day.

Surprisingly, the key signing behind their success was not that of long-time MLS target Hirving Lozano but of Denmark international Anders Dreyer.

The 27-year-old recorded, dare we say, Messi-esque numbers for San Diego, finishing joint top with the GOAT in the assist charts. In addition to setting up his teammates 19 times, he also scored 19 goals, which was good enough for fourth in the Golden Boot race.

ST: Sam Surridge (Nashville SC)

Sam Surridge had a pretty understated career in his native England, but the striker has blossomed into a real machine since joining Nashville in 2023.

In 84 appearances for the Boys in Gold, he has scored a whopping 50 goals. In 2025, he ran Messi and Bouanga close in the Golden Boot race, netting against Miami on Decision Day to take his final tally to 24.

He also scored six goals in just three games as Nashville won the US Open Cup, the first piece of silverware in club history.

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